Those of us who lived through that disaster never again want to see an unchecked gusher spewing oil into the Gulf, waves of oil and tar washing up on our shores, oiled pelicans struggling to survive, and our fishermen put out of work because of the bad actions of a company like BP.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also considering a radical “5 year plan” to drill off nearly every U.S. coastline, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, which is currently protected by a Congressional moratorium. Florida and many states that border the Atlantic Ocean rely on clean beaches and healthy waters to drive their economies.

The current 5 year plan proposal combined with the rollback of key safety provisions is a slap in the face to our coastal communities, putting at risk vibrant economies that employ hundreds of thousands of people for dirty and dangerous offshore development.

Rather than slashing safety rules and opening new areas like the eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling, we should be ending new offshore oil and gas leasing and beginning the transition to a clean and just energy economy for all.

Raleigh Hoke

April 20, 2019

When you sign up today, you'll become a Healthy Gulf activist and receive important action alerts and news in your inbox.